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Through the International Activities Center, the Urban Institute has been able to expand its work on poverty, urban development, and housing around the world. In 2007, our researchers worked in more than 20 countries assisting developing nations by advising local leaders, evaluating government accountability, and facilitating direct citizen involvement in decisionmaking and reform. We work on the ground to improve governance and ensure basic needs, from water to housing.

In Albania, our advice helped local governments raise and control much of their own revenue. Improved service delivery has led to higher citizen satisfaction with local government. Our advice contributed to the devolution of budget authority to local governments in Kyrgyzstan so cities, towns, and villages can address citizens’ needs and priorities. In Pakistan, district governments are taking on new responsibilities for health and education with our support. 

In Serbia and Georgia, dozens of local governments are now promoting local economic development, advised by our experts on budgeting, planning, public-private partnerships, and increased accountability and transparency.

In Ethiopia, we worked in nine municipalities and two regional governments supporting changes in municipal finance, housing, infrastructure, land administration, and budget management. In 2007, this work became the basis for a book on municipal development.

Our expertise in performance-based government is improving service delivery in central Asia, Africa, and Latin America, building both measurement of service delivery and civil society engagement into the management of such services as water and sanitation, roads, solid waste management, health, and education. A frequent by-product of these efforts is reduced corruption.

Measurement of impact and evaluation of progress are key skills we bring to problems in developing countries, helping donors assess their programs, and counterparts their impact. Advice on housing policy will introduce more systematic accounting and more well-informed policy options for Cairo, Egypt. Our researchers are analyzing Millennium Challenge Corporation programs in Benin, Honduras, and Georgia. In India, we have developed methods for mainstreaming the large informal sector.